Quick questions about "Mind and Body"

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J Groove, modified 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 6:22 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 6:22 AM

Quick questions about "Mind and Body"

Posts: 59 Join Date: 9/9/09 Recent Posts
“…the first insight you are looking for, the one that gets you in a position to see more deeply, is stage 1. Mind and Body.”

>>Is this basically knowing when the sensate phenomena are somatosensory--i.e. pertaining to sensations received in the skin and deep tissues (body)--and when they are thoughts, feeling-tones, or perhaps subtle energetic phenomena (mind)? One notes the difference between these two, and gains the sense that both categories or types of sensations amount to ephemeral phenomena that can be observed as coming and going, rather than identified with as self?

>>How important is the noting of the difference between mental and somatosensory phenomena—i.e. is it a good idea to actually note this, maybe thinking “mental” or “physical” as the noticing of the two kinds of phenomena happens?
Trent , modified 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 1:18 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 1:18 PM

RE: Quick questions about "Mind and Body"

Posts: 361 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
Hi,

First Q: check out this thread and specifically post 10, bullet 3 by Dan. May contain the answers you're lookin' for. http://dharmaoverground.wetpaint.com/thread/3154375/Recognizing+the+first+two+jhanas

Second Q: I can't say for sure since I never did that, but it does not seem particularly necessary for insight. I think that "a note is a note," and the content of said note is completely empty; thus relatively arbitrary. Sometimes content does matter, though. If, for instance, the content is subtle enough to go unnoticed or habitual enough to go undetected.

Trent
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 8:21 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 8:21 PM

RE: Quick questions about "Mind and Body"

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
The key is that Mind and Body leads to Cause and Effect, in which you notice that this leads to that, this follows that.

You note the breath, the breath moves. You stop noting the breath, it stops. You note the breath slowly and smoothly, it does that. You note rapidly and jerkly, it does that. Same with the feet in walking practice. This is Cause and Effect.

You notice that intentions lead to actions, that you know you will breathe before you breathe, that you know what you will think just before you think it, that you can feel a memory of sensations after they happen, that mental impressions follow sensations.

These are Cause and Effect, and to get to Cause and Effect, you note the sensations that arise in Mind and Body, and it doesn't really matter so much which, but early on, in this territory, the simple practices of noting the breath and the feet and wandering mind and thinking and hearing and seeing and remembering and the like are very useful and move things along quickly, so don't worry too much about what is exactly what, as all will become clearer as you go, but just keep at it, second after second, minute after minute, and, if on retreat, hour after hour, and before you know it, Cause and Effect is there, and before you know it, Three Characteristics is showing up, and before you know it, there's the A&P, etc.

Thus, practice simply, straightforwardly, consistently, second after second, note after note, sensation after sensation, steadily, and it should all work out. There is this simple, nearly mechanical beauty to things at this point, but investigation, as you mention, is always good, so just stay with the primary objects and notice what else arises also and note again and again and again and you will see how it all fits together and builds very nicely.
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J Groove, modified 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 9:56 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 9/13/09 9:56 PM

RE: Quick questions about "Mind and Body"

Posts: 59 Join Date: 9/9/09 Recent Posts
Daniel M. Ingram:
The key is that Mind and Body leads to Cause and Effect, in which you notice that this leads to that, this follows that ... Thus, practice simply, straightforwardly, consistently, second after second, note after note, sensation after sensation, steadily, and it should all work out.


Crystal clear, Dan. Thanks.
(And thanks for the link, Trenton. I'll check that out as well.)
Best regards,
J Groove